Image: Man in the Stands
With the onset of relegation hanging over NPL2 this term, a couple of the league strugglers decided to recruit big in an effort to avoid the drop. Both Murray United and Nunawading City have lured credentialed former A-League players to their respective clubs. Both had commenced their campaigns promisingly, with the pair recording consecutive draws in their two opening matches in games which they would have no doubt lost in previous years.
With that in mind, many pencilled in the Eastern Lions as potential relegation candidates as the Burwood-based outfit’s off-season recruitment saw the 2014 State League One Champions take their punt on a number of unheralded youngsters as well as players with lower State League experience. Fast forward three rounds into the season and Jim Williams’ men remain unbeaten, with a win and two draws seeing the Lions sit fourth on the standings, two points adrift from early frontrunners Springvale and a point behind the highly fancied Dandenong duo.
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While satisfied with their start to the campaign, you can forgive many from Gardiners Creek Reserve for thinking they should be sitting pretty at the top of the ladder. Missed penalties by Michael Jones and Philip Ajao in their opening two competitive games of the year saw Eastern settle for a point against local rivals Nunawading and Box Hill as they looked ahead to an early season six-pointer away to Murray United on the border.
The hosts fielded Archie Thompson in their starting 11, with the former Socceroo looking to score on his home debut in an action-packed afternoon at the LaTrobe University Sporting Fields in Wodonga. But it was the visitors who opened the scoring mid-way through the first half when winger William Ellis found the back of the net for his first goal of the season.
United had their chances to equalize, with Zac Walker seeing a couple of efforts denied, while Thompson struck the woodwork as the Lions held firm in defence.
The away side doubled their lead just before the hour – it proved to be third time lucky from the spot as a foul in the area saw defender Thomas Falconer step up and convert the penalty.
James Coutts’ side had their own chance from the 11m-mark but Thompson’s effort in the 65th minute cannoned off the crossbar as United failed in their attempts to reduce the deficit.
The triumph is a crucial away win for Eastern, who failed to pick up any points from all four of their regional visits last term, having lost 2-0 to Murray last August.
Their start to the campaign emphasises their hard-working nature, with Williams’ men proving hard to break down, having only conceded once in 270 minutes of football.
No surprises there from an unfashionable side which last campaign raised many eyebrows with their surprise results, including a 4-2 triumph over North Geelong at home, a 2-1 win away to Kingston City, and an emphatic and season-defining 4-1 victory over Dandenong Thunder in the penultimate round of the season.
Their problem however was their inconsistency with defeats to lowly Murray, Bendigo and a 7-0 mauling at Melbourne City highlighting their frailties as they prepare to take on the 2016/17 National Youth League Champions at home next weekend.
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The A-League Youth side welcomed back several key players back into the starting 11 for their visit to Frank Holohan Soccer Complex on Saturday afternoon against Dandenong City.
The home side recovered strongly from their opening day derby loss to Thunder by thrashing Richmond 5-0 last weekend and looked to continue on their winning ways against Joe Palatsides’ side, which had recorded two consecutive 2-2 draws to kick-start their season.
The deadlock was broken five minutes before half-time when a well-placed cross by right-back Enes Sivic met the head of Mate Dugandzic who fired in his first goal for Hajduk, having shaken off a knock sustained in the opening fixture to return to the starting line-up.
The margin was multiplied 13 minutes into the second term when Shaun Kelly saw his header fumbled into the net by Australian U17 goalkeeper James Delianov.
Hajduk will be looking to make it three home wins from the bounce when they entertain fierce rivals Springvale White Eagles next week.
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Vlado Tortevski’s side could not continue their 100% start to the campaign after having to settle for a point against an improved Richmond at Kevin Bartlett Reserve on Friday night.
The hosts opened the scoring on the 20th minute mark when new signing Rudi Saglam caught the White Eagles side off guard from a free-kick in Ryan Giggs-esque fashion.
Ratip Cileli went close to adding a second but saw his wonderful effort from range spectacularly saved by White Eagles shot-stopper Lajos Oliveira, who also denied Richmond youngster Valli Cesnik at the near post.
The away side pushed for a response in the second half and were aided by a 60th minute red card to Alemannia defender Halil Gur for an off-the-ball incident involving Springvale forward Vojislav Milojevic.
Cody Martindale found the back of the net only for the goal to be ruled out for offside as Tortevski brought on Isaiah Joseph on for Milan Jovanovic.
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder made an immediate impact as he met Nebojsa Pejic’s free-kick, flicking the ball towards goal and past Brandon Osipov in Richmond’s goal. Paul Donnelly’s enforcers had one final chance to win the game, Cesnik’s low-central shot forcing Oliveira to spill the shot wide away from goal.
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Richmond’s next opponents Nunawading City visited George Andrews Reserve on Saturday evening as they faced Dandenong Thunder, a side who had beaten them by an aggregate scoreline of 14-1 last campaign.
Having netted eight goals against them in their last meeting, you would have expected City to have learned their lesson in not allowing Brandon Barnes to shoot, however that did not prove to be the case in the 34th minute.
The Englishman opened the scoring just a couple of days out from his 24th birthday.
Undeterred, Nunawading’s heads didn’t drop and Nick Dimitrakis’ men were level just eight minutes later when some nice interplay from Jason Trifiro and James Brown saw the latter lay off the ball to Adrian Mancini (no relation to Roberto) on the left, the youngster hitting the ball with his right with just enough power to beat Fraser Maclaren who was not able to keep the ball out despite getting his fingertips to it.
The game winner came seven minutes into the second half when former Green Gully midfielder Alon Blumgart launched a shot from outside the area past Jordan Franken into the back of the net.
Not a bad way to mark your starting debut for your new side, much to the angst of City who continue to show improvement as they search for just their second win of the NPL era in 59 league outings.
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The round’s final game pitted the Goulburn Valley Suns against a Box Hill United team yet to concede a goal from their opening two games, having been held to a couple of scoreless draws so far this term.
That record continued, with the pair playing out a goalless draw in Shepparton.
Both sides exchanged chances throughout the 90 as Greg Kassidas’ men once more failed to find the back of the net.
United may have felt aggrieved not to have been handed a penalty when captain Thomas Lakic was tackled in the area by a Suns defender, although the referee waved away appeals for a spot-kick.
The Suns were missing the services of Scottish striker Liam Baxter who was suspended following his controversial sending off last week, and could not find a way past Keegan Coulter, who kept his third clean sheet in as many matches.
United will be looking to break their goalscoring drought next week as they host the Thunder at Wembley Park, with the two teams meeting for the first time since Box Hill broke the Thunder’s 20-game undefeated streak.
The Suns meanwhile will look to find their first three points of the year when they host regional rivals Murray United.